Internal combustion engines



July 12, 1960 Filed April 2, 1959 D. HODKIN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEY July l2, 1960 v D. HODKIN 2,944,534

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES 5 Sheets Sheet 2 Filed April 2, 1959 Fl 6. 1 b.

94w!) HOAX/N INVENTOR ATTORNEY INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed April 2, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG. 1c.

INVE NTOR by ATTORNEY July 12, 1960 Filed April 2, 1959 D. HODKIN 2,944,534

ATTORNEY July 12,1960 D. I-IIODVKINI v 2,944,534

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed April 2, 1959 v '5 Sheets-Sheet s DA V/D Noon/y IN VE NTOR ATTORNEY '47-, 48, 49for the mainshaft. I 3 I I v vj -In"the faces 18 are grooves 50, 51 which together form a main oil channel 52 whichis tapered to asome what smaller cross-sectional size towardsthe end remote from the gearbox and at the gearbox. end rises to ahigher level where it has an opening 54-receiving oil from an oil filter blow-01f port.[ The faces ,18 also have a sub 2,944,534 p INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES David Hodkin, Lidlington, England, assignor to Engi neering Research and Application Limited, Dunstable, England a This invention relates to internal combustion engines and its object is to facilitate and cheapen production on a large scale.

According to the present invention a housing prov1dmg the cylinders and crankcase are cast in aplurality of parts that have faces engaging each other in a plane passing through the axes of the cylinders and'the crankshaft and oil grooves are formed in one or more of the engaging faces of the cast parts which grooves form channels, said channels including a main channel which extends along the crankcase and subsidiary channels in communication with the main channel and feeding the crankshaft bearings. Such subsidiary channels mayialso feed oil to grooves in the cylinder walls for cooling.

If desired the cylinders (e.g. four cylinders) with the flywheelhousing, gearbox housing and crankcase may, all be formed in two die cast parts having engaging faces needs-at let.

along the crankcase and along two generatrices of each i I cylinder. a V

The invention willnowbe further described. by way of example with reference to the accompanying diagram-1 matic drawings wherein: 7

Figures 1A, 1B, 1C are continuationstogether consti-,

tuting an elevational view. of the inside of one? of the,

castingsforming a housing made inz accordancejwith the invention;

.Figure 3 is a sectional view on the line 5- 3 on Figure 1B. 7 i

12 that contains the axes of the cylinders 13,714, 15, 16 and the axis of the crankshaft and gearbox layshaft.

tom of the castings, faces 19 at the upper part of the cast- Zings, and vertical surfaces 20, 21, '22, 23, 24, 2s, 26, 27 7 all having bolt holes 3 0to receive bolts'for bolting the two castings together. iThesefaces divide the. housing into cavities comprising the cylinders .13, 14,15,16; 32

. Figure2 is a sectional view on the line 2-2 on Figure 1B; and 1 r These engaging faces include lowerfaces 18 at the'botfeeding'the crankshaft bearings openings.

a 2. A housing as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cast parts comprise two parts providing the cavities for the flyto receive the cranks; 33 to'contain the flywheel; and 35 I to contain a drive; to a pump and camshaft, which drive can be attached to a bracket37 on theweb forming the :face 22. The faces or webs 20, 21,22 are formed with bearing openings 39, 40, 41 for thegearbox'layshaft The faces 20 to. 27 also have bearing openings 44, 45, 46, crankshaftj'and the co-axia1.g6arbox sidiary oil channeli55 having an opening 56 that receives ice Patented July 12, 1960 channel 52 is connected by a groove 60 to the bearing opening 44 which in turn is connected by groove 61 to the bearing opening 39. Channel 52 is also connected by a pipe 62 leading from opening 54 to a hole 163 which-communicates with an oil groove 64 of the bearing 7 opening 45. The groove 64 is connected by groove 63 to a groove 164 which feeds the bearing opening 40. An

oil groove 165 in bearing opening 46 is fed with oil from the hole 163 via ducting in the mainshaft. Groove 165 supplies an oil groove 166 via groove 66, A transverse oil passage 167 connects with oil channel 52 and is connected by a pipe 168 to a hole 169 and to a passage 170. The hole 169 supplies oil groove 171 of bearing opening 47 and passage supplies a channel 74 that leads to passages in the cylinder head. The purpose of feeding oil to the cylinder head is to. supply lubricant to the bearings of the camshaft housed therein and to the usual valves and tappets. The channel 74 is connected by duct 172 with grooves 173 which are closed by cylinder liners (one of which is shown at 179) to form channels for cooling the liners. A transverse passage 175 connects with the channel 52 and is connected by a pipe 176 with a duct 177 which feeds oil to a groove 178 in the bearing opening 48. The end of channel 52 leads by groove 180 to an oil groove 181 of the bearing opening 49. a

In one of each of the faces 18, 19, 20, 27 is a groove 72 on the outer side'of the oil channels and receiving 7 a resilient packing strip. On the outer side of the groove 72'are other grooves 73, 74 for lightening.

o 1 The invention facilitates large scale manufacture of the housing bygravity or pressure die casting whereby the groovesfand channels in the meeting plane of the two castings can be, formed during the casting process thereby reducing subsequent costly machining to a minimum.

Iclaim:

an' internal combustion engine, said engine having a flywheel, gearbox, pistons and cylinder head, said housing having crankshaft bearings openings, said housing comprising a plurality of cast'parts that have faces engaging each other in a plane passing through the axes of the wheel, gearbox, crankshaft and pistons, and having en- 'gagingfaces along the crankcase and along two gene ratnces of each cylinder, at least one of these faces having a groove therein constituting at least part of the oil from the pump, an opening 57 that communicates main oilchannel, and a groove to receive a packing strip; 3, A housing as claimed in claim 1, wherein an oil feed channel is formed by grooving one of said. faces, said (feed channel being parallel to the'main channel and hav- "ing' an opening to receive oil from a pump, and an opening communicating with an. oil filter from which oil is fed back to an opening in the main channel.

4; 'A housing as claimed in claim 1 wherein the main channel extends along the lower part of the housing-and has a transversepassage leadingby meansiof a tub e to a channel in said plane that leads out of the upperfpart of the housing for supplying a cylinder head with oil,

No references cited. .7

1. A housin'g providing the cylinders and'crankcase of I 

